Political/community experience: More than 20 years working on education policy issues; eight years on the Boulder Valley School District school board as treasurer and vice president; appointed in 2008 and elected in 2010 to the State Board of Education

Education: University of Colorado bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1969; master's degree in1971; doctorate in business administration with a major in accounting in 1988

Name a person you admire and explain why: Eleanor Roosevelt, for her values, determination and grace.

What's the most pressing issue facing education in Colorado? The most pressing task facing education in Colorado is to graduate all students prepared for citizenship and ready for career and/or college. We must transform our education system for the global world we now inhabit. That includes setting high expectations for all students, individualizing instruction so that all kids reach high levels of learning and understanding, integrating technology into the classroom for teaching, assessing and managing students, professionalizing teaching through evaluations, targeting professional development and appropriate pay, expanding early childhood learning opportunities, offering full day kindergarten, providing adequate funding and ensuring that those resources are spent appropriately.

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How should the state help local school districts meet educator effectiveness requirements? The state is helping. From the CDE website: "CDE has developed resources on the educator effectiveness website that help districts understand the processes, tools and policies that a district may use to develop an evaluation system that meets the requirements of SB 191. In addition, CDE is developing a Colorado Model Evaluation System that districts may choose to implement to meet the requirements of SB 191. Resources for the Colorado Model Evaluation System include rubrics, user guides and training materials for the trainers in school districts. Additionally, models putting for putting together multiple measures of student growth are being developed." Twenty-seven districts are currently piloting the new system and are receiving direct training and extra resources. The principal evaluation system pilot has been completed and results are being analyzed.

What would be your top priority if elected? My top priorities for the coming term are: To advocate for the expansion of early childhood programs for 3 and 4 year old at-risk children. CDE has been collecting data showing the strength of the Colorado Preschool Program as students continue to the later grades. To support the development of educator evaluation systems throughout the state. To ensure that the next version of state testing measures what we want students to know and be able to do, is aligned with our standards, gives meaningful information, is shorter, online wherever possible, and is graded quickly. While I'm pleased with the new standards we've adopted in Colorado, it's the assessments that will determine whether we are setting higher standards and achieving them.

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